Minor League Barometer: Upgrades, Downgrades

The hitting phenoms have stolen all the glory early in 2015. From the promotions of Kris Bryant and Addison Russell to the Cubs, to the scorching starts of neophytes Corey Seager and Carlos Correa, the position players have been at the forefront of the minor league discussions this season.

But what about pitchers? It's been more of a mixed bag for hurlers. Carlos Rodon already received the call but is pitching out of the bullpen. Archie Bradley suffered a gruesome injury when he was struck in the face by a Carlos Gonzalez line drive. Daniel Norris was recently optioned to Triple-A. Jon Gray has been struggling mightily for the Rockies at Triple-A.

On the flipside, Noah Syndergaard has been terrific for Triple-A Las Vegas, posting a 1.66 ERA and 26:8 K:BB ratio through 21.2 innings. Opposing batters are hitting just .197 against him. Meanwhile, Tyler Glasnow is dominating Double-A, to the surprise of nobody. The 6-foot-8 righty has a minuscule 0.79 ERA and 24:6 K:BB ratio in 22.2 innings. However, the most intriguing pitching prospect continues to be 18-year-old Julio Urias. The teenaged left-hander has a 2.70 ERA and 33:4 K:BB ratio in 26.2 innings for Double-A Tulsa. Urias can hit 96 on the radar gun and has command of four pitches, including a curveball and changeup, which can both be devastating offerings. He has been dubbed the next Fernando Valenzuela, and the Dodgers will feel pressure to have Urias make his MLB debut before season's end.

Who else could be on the precipice of greatness? We'll put some more prospects under the microscope in this edition of the Minor League Barometer.

UPGRADE

Luis Severino, P, NYY - Severino is another highly touted pitching prospect making waves. Not only does Severino have strikeout stuff, but he also possesses pinpoint control. Last season, he fanned 127 batters while issuing just 27 walks over that span. That's an almost 5:1 K:BB ratio. Severino's fastball is superb, sitting in the mid-90s with great late movement. His changeup can also be devastating, and both pitches tend to work down in the zone. This is important because it yields a bevy of ground balls. Severino allowed just three home runs last season across three levels, while notching a 1.56 GO:AO ratio. He is off to another superior start this year, posting a 2.25 ERA and 26:7 K:BB ratio in 20 innings at Double-A Trenton. It's not outside the realm of possibility that Severino makes his MLB debut this season, though his real contributions to the Bombers likely won't come until 2016.

Clint Coulter, OF, MIL - A converted catcher, Coulter has not let the move out from behind the plate hurt his hitting. A power prospect who smacked 22 home runs last season, Coulter also has excellent plate discipline, drawing 73 walks at Low-A in 2014. The 21-year-old has come out of the gate displaying much of the same in 2015. Coulter is slashing .315/.413/.607 with six home runs and 17 RBI through 23 games at High-A. He has 11 walks as compared to 15 strikeouts. Usually a move from catcher hurts a player's value fantasy value, but it should not be a deterrent in Coulter's case. Remember that the Royals made a similar move with Wil Myers before he was traded to the Rays in the James Shields trade. In fact, Coulter has even swiped four bases already, showing perhaps it has been a smart move to maximize Coulter's offensive talents.

Stephen Gonsalves, P, MIN - Gonsalves was one of the top arms in the 2013 draft, but fell to the fourth round due to a minor off-field incident. Gonsalves is also just 20 and only pitched 65.2 innings last season, half of which came in the Appalachian League. However, he averaged more than one strikeout per inning and has been virtually unhittable this season. The 6-5 southpaw has a 38:3 K:BB ratio in 27 innings at Low-A. Yes, you read that correctly. Opposing batters are hitting a putrid .174 against him. He will almost certainly be on a strict innings limit (likely no more than 100), but the faith in Gonsalves is clearly paying dividends thus far for the Twinkies. He has certainly looked like more of an ace than Kohl Stewart, another high school hurler who was selected by Minnesota in the first round, the same year as Gonsalves.

Brett Phillips, OF, HOU - You have to like a guy whose middle name is Maverick. The youth movement for the Astros finally appears to be paying off, as young studs Jose Altuve, George Springer and Jake Marisnick have played crucial roles in the early season resurgence for Houston. While the outfield is stocked with talent, Phillips is making a bid to throw his hat into the ring in the coming years. His statistics and build scream Joc Pederson, or at least a poor man's version. In 2014, Phillips slashed .310/.375/.529 with 17 home runs, 68 RBI and 23 steals in 130 games, mostly at Low-A. This season has been a similar story, with Phillips batting .358/.390/.621 through 21 games at High-A. Phillips has also bashed four home runs, driven home 14 runs and swiped two bases. He likely won't make his big-league debut for at least two seasons, but Phillips has certainly placed himself on the prospect map.

CHECK STATUS

Wilmer Difo, SS, WAS - Difo has been in the Washington organization since 2010, but it was only last season that he really began making noise. The middle infielder hit .315/.360/.470 at Low-A. Difo was extremely productive at the dish, driving home an astounding 90 runs in 136 games. Difo showed surprising pop with 14 home runs as well, but was really able to show off his wheels. He swiped 49 bags and was caught just nine times. Difo found little resistance to begin the 2015 campaign as well, and the Nats quickly promoted him from High-A to Double-A after batting .320 with three home runs, 14 RBI and four steals in 19 games. At 23, Difo's future course could be determined by how he fares at Double-A. However, we could also be witnessing the meteoric rise of a player finally coming into his own.

Johnny Field, OF, TB - An excellent baseball name, Field is a toolsy outfielder who fits the mold of what the Tampa Bay Rays look for. His skill set is similar to previous Rays outfield prospects like Mikie Mahtook. Field does not overwhelm with any one skill, but instead appears pretty balanced across the board. He hit an even .300 between Low-A and High-A last season, mashing 12 home runs while stealing 23 bases. His production looks similar to begin the 2015 campaign. Field is batting .294/.378/.506 with four home runs, 18 RBI and two steals through 23 games at Double-A Montgomery. On the downside, Field was punched out 24 times over that span. Field may end up being a better actual baseball player than fantasy player.

Matt Boyd, P, TOR - Boyd has been lights-out through five starts in 2015. Opposing batters are hitting just .144 against him en route to a minuscule 1.04 ERA at Double-A. Boyd has also fanned 33 batters while walking just eight in 26 innings. The reason he isn't an upgrade is that the southpaw isn't overpowering with his fastball; though he can kick the velocity up a few ticks when he has to, Boyd's heater usually sits around 90 mph. He is also already 24, meaning that a polished college pitcher should be having success at the lower levels. Still, Boyd's start is certainly nothing to scoff at, and his ability to locate and miss bats without the velocity should be noted.

Victor Roache, OF, MIL - Roache has great physical tools, but it hadn't really translated into on-field success heading into this season. His slash line looks much better through 24 games at High-A in 2015, though. Although he is repeating the same level, Roache is batting .298/.371/.564. The power numbers have also been present, as seen by his six dingers and 22 RBI. However, the warning signs of an eventual crash back down to earth are abundant. First, Roache has an unsustainable .400 BABIP. Second, he has still fanned 33 times in 24 contests. Finally, Roache has never hit above .248 since entering the minors. Perhaps the former first-round draft pick has finally turned a corner. However, most signs point toward a regression back to the mean.

DOWNGRADE

Matt Wisler, P, ATL - The Braves essentially took a chunk of prospects from the Padres this offseason, first from the Justin Upton trade and then in the Craig Kimbrel deal. Wisler was a key piece in the Kimbrel exchange, but is struggling to begin the 2015 campaign. Through four starts, the 22-year-old righty has a bloated 6.75 ERA. While Wisler does have a stellar strikeout-to-walk ratio (20:5 in 20 innings), he has been extremely hittable otherwise. Opposing batters are hitting a stout .326 against him. The long ball continues to be an issue of Wisler, who has already surrendered three home runs in 2015 after yielding an astounding 21 home runs in 2014. Wisler's inability to keep the ball down has ultimately been his undoing, and the fact that he has been traded from the friendly pitching confines of Petco Park may only further hurt his cause.

Willy Adames, SS, TB - Adames was a vital component in the David Price deal last season. He is just 19 and already at High-A, so the downgrade should be taken with a grain of salt. Still, he continues to strike out at an alarming rate, particularly when considering he does not project as a power hitter. After fanning 126 times in 125 games last year at Low-A, Adames has been punched out 32 times through 21 contests in 2015. He has been less proficient at drawing walks than he was last season as well, leading to a slash line of .238/.301/.357. The sample size is small, and Adames has plenty of room to grow. However, this certainly isn't the start Adames and the Rays envisioned.

Kyle Parker, OF, COL - The prospect luster may be gone for Parker. The former Clemson University quarterback decided to pursue a career on the diamond as opposed to the gridiron, though he does not quite look the part of a future star. While he does have some power potential, Parker failed to crack 20 home runs for the first time in his career last season, even while playing in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. A brief stint with the big club in September did not go so well, and Parker found himself back in the PCL to begin the 2015 campaign. Parker is off to an abysmal start, batting a mere .165 with two home runs in 21 games at Triple-A. At 25 and facing the proposition of trying to crack a stellar hitting outfield for the Rockies at the MLB level, Parker may need a change of scenery before he fades into obscurity.

Chris Stratton, P, SF - Stratton has not lived up to his lofty draft status. A star and rotation anchor at Mississippi State, he was selected in the first round of the 2012 draft by the Giants. After a solid first full season in 2013, Stratton found himself barely treading water in the California League, a notorious hitters' domain. Stratton notched a 5.07 ERA in 99.1 innings, though he did fan 102 batters over that span. He even performed decently in five starts at Double-A to end his 2014 season. Back at the same level in 2015, Stratton has not been able to find the same success. He has a 5.31 ERA through four starts. Perhaps most troubling has been his control issues. While Stratton didn't exactly have pinpoint control in prior seasons, he certainly wasn't considered wild. However, he has a 16:12 K:BB ratio in 20.1 innings at Double-A this year. Stratton's star has fallen considerably, to the point where he may not even be considered a top-20 prospect in his own organization.